A Leaf in Time: Kakashi the Copy Ninja & The Hero Boruto Uzumaki
by Elevryn
Summary: Kakashi and Boruto survive in a post-apocalyptic world after the Otsutsuki War. As the two wait to die, they find comfort in each other's arms. But Boruto cannot accept the loss he experienced, and his hope perseveres. With help, Boruto uses his Jougan to return in time with a plan to resist Kaguya's will, and prevent the fall of shinobi. But evil follows from future to past. Lemon
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. This story contains mature themes and sexual content. It's my first fanfiction, so please rate and review! Also looking for an editor.

Enjoy~

Chapter 1: A Failed Timeline

Kakashi awoke, cold and alone. He propped himself up on one elbow, looking for Boruto with sleep in his eyes. This was the third day in a row Kakashi found himself alone in their makeshift grass bed, in their temporary hideout, thirty kilometers outside of a vacant town in the Land of Fire. The cave was dark, but the sun was beginning to rise over the mountains, and the fire at the mouth of the cave burned brightly. Kakashi dressed himself and left the cave he had called home for the past four weeks to find Boruto hugging his knees before a flame that was far too large. It had been some time since they last moved. But this location was comfortable and easy to guard. And as of late, Boruto had no mind for travelling or for surviving.

"Boruto," Kakashi began in a soft voice, "You know we can't have a fire that large. You're signalling our position."

Without looking up or missing a beat, Boruto replied, "There's no one left to see it Kakashi." He paused for a long time, leaving out the honorific, "You know that."

Kakashi examined the horizon and sighed. Boruto was right. It had been three months since they'd last seen even a trail of living humans. They knew some existed. Some carved territory for themselves in the new world and survived through the power of their taijutsu and bukijutsu. For the past eight months, since both Naruto and Sasuke died, Boruto and Kakashi mostly travelled continuously, looting towns that hadn't been completely depleted during the rampaging warfare that preceded the end of the world.

So much happened in the final act of the Shinobi Alliance. The Otsutsuki War raged on for five years and preluded the destruction of their future. Once, Kakashi had believed the world was changing with Naruto and Sasuke steering its direction. After decades of war and slaughter, the will for peace had never been greater.

_Damn the Otsutsuki! _Kakashi's mouth filled with the taste of iron and he spat the curse from his mouth. They brought a war no shinobi could prepare for. They murdered endlessly, and robbed the world of its chakra, leaving only what remained inside the survivors before leaving to devour chakra in another place. Ninja were no longer capable of replenishing their chakra; they must make do with what remains within as the world rots around them.

Beside Boruto now, Kakashi draped his arm over the younger man's shoulder and pulled him back from the flame. "There are others out there, Boruto. Ex ninja that might be desperate enough to attack us for supplies, or god knows what. And if Juugo finds us again, we're dead."

Boruto flinched at Kakashi's remarks. They encountered Juugo a few weeks after the world began decaying and depleted nearly half their remaining chakra attempting to escape his murderous rage. "Juugo is far away. I doubt he's even in the Land of Fire. If anything, he's continuing his rampage West, and he'll never stop." Though Boruto said this knowing that they were located East of Juugo, an uncaged monster who thrived in a world depleted of chakra due to his ability to wield nature energy. "The remaining ninja don't have the chakra for a serious battle. Even between us, we might only have enough left for a few jutsu."

Kakashi nodded, not saying anything. His fingers tightened around Boruto's shoulder. He thought about what might happen once the remainder of the world's chakra disappeared. In the eight months since Naruto's death and the end of the war, society crumbled, and soon, the natural world followed. Trees no longer sprouted from the ground. Grass turned yellow, then brown, then to dust. The Land of Fire, once known for its lush landscape was now a wasteland that reminded any survivors of their failures. The countryside loosely held the bodies of his comrades, hastily buried as they fled the final onslaught from the Otsutsuki.

_Anything… Did anything I fought for matter? _Kakashi shut his eyes, willing the thoughts to leave before they couldn't be chased away. _Obito…. Rin… I'm sorry. I failed again and again. _He was a Kage of nothing, capable only of saving his own worthless life, and the life of a boy whose father changed the world, and who Kakashi thought, if the world had been kinder, would lead the next generation.

Boruto interjected Kakashi's thoughts as the teenager pushed his head into the nape of Kakashi's neck. The sun, now fully above the crest of the mountains, glimmered through Boruto's golden hair. "Kakashi…" Boruto took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the man he depended on and found comfort in it, "What are we surviving for?" He asked, knowing that as the world dies, so too would the remainder of humanity.

Kakashi sighed, taking a moment to look at his young lover. In the morning light, Boruto's youthful features matured, and the boy looked like a young man. His eyes reflected the history of his life; born in peace, now living without purpose. "You're enough for me Boruto. You keep me going." Kakashi held the boy's gaze until Boruto broke it. The truth was—Kakashi was ready to die. He had prepared mentally for it his entire life and couldn't imagine dying a better death; he finally found love and would gladly die for it when the time came.

"My father… what would he have done now?"

Kakashi frowned at the mention of his deceased student, "Naruto? Well, he would probably chase a ghost of hope if it meant even the slightest chance of saving you from this hell." At his response, Boruto retreated into his mind, reflecting on something he would not share with Kakashi. By now, Kakashi knew Boruto's mood swings well enough to let the boy work through them himself. Boruto would come to Kakashi when he was ready.

Kakashi forced a smile, knowing the difference between himself and Naruto. After decades of loss, Kakashi knew when it was time to give in to destiny's plan. Though he and the others had been deceived, thinking that redemption for the ninja world was possible, Kakashi knew now that fate, ever mischievous, would find a way to set the dominoes in motion. Destruction was inevitable, whether it was Orochimaru, the Akatsuki, or the Otsutsuki. Fate was fortunate to have its pick of egos as it selected who would destroy the ninja world's salvation. The world as it was, was inevitable.

It wasn't entirely bad. In the year of preparation before the Otsutsuki War, known as the Absent Year, Kakashi had worked closely with Boruto. Naruto assigned Kakashi as captain of the Konoha Division of the Shinobi Alliance. Reaching maturity, Boruto, with his Karma seal, and his Jougan became an invaluable weapon for the alliance. Kakashi would spend hours with the young man, preparing him for missions that only he with his threatening dual powers, could accomplish. He acted as sensei to the budding leaf and passed on his knowledge of jutsu. Boruto would inherit many of Kakashi's lethal lightning ninjutsu, as well as his keen battle intellect.

It was in those moments that Kakashi grew to love Boruto. Even though he knew it was wrong, Kakashi was perverted at heart, the product of an era where ninja were introduced to sexual art and manipulation at a young age without second thought. He thought that Boruto would never return his feelings, yet still the image of his smaller, toned frame against his own drove him wild with a lust he was grossly accustomed to. As a young ninja, he himself had partaken in sex with older men and women. But the ninja of this generation were different. Without the constant threat of war and with the economy stabilized, the need for young ninja to play this role faded, especially in Konoha. The sexualization of warfare life, and the power politics of sex nearly disappeared in the peace that Naruto and Sasuke brought.

Until the onslaught of the Otsutsuki war, which lasted five years, and would cause the decimation of the ninja world. Suddenly, with the threat of death returned once more to the world, society turned to depravity. When the Leaf fell, Kakashi ensured Boruto was by his side. When Naruto died, and the world was drained of its chakra, the two ninja survived with a small group of shinobi: Sarada, Konahamaru, and a few others. In the struggle to adapt without the use of their abilities, their numbers quickly dwindled. Konahamaru left in search of Mount Myoboku. Sarada, true to herself until the end, sacrificed her life to save Boruto's during Juugo's onslaught.

She spoke her final words then, "Let this world end. But let a new era of Kakashi the Copy Ninja begin." She died in Boruto's arms, blind and smiling. Those words she spoke never left Boruto.

Boruto returned from his mind before Kakashi did and turned the older man's chin towards his face. Looking into Kakashi's dark eyes, currently sealed to prevent the Sharingan's chakra drain, he inched his face closer towards Kakashi and gently kissed his lips.

"You always disappear like that." Boruto chided him.

"I follow you when you go, Boruto."

"Always?"

"Always." Kakashi replied.

In a moment, Boruto had pulled Kakashi by his shirt on top of him and away from the fire. Their lips were locked in a passionate kiss, and Boruto wrapped his legs around Kakashi's waist. Though he was surprised by Boruto's forwardness, Kakashi moaned softly in response and closed his eyes.

They had only gone so far together. Their relationship had only become intimate in the past year, and it happened slowly. The pace Boruto allowed Kakashi into his heart was glacial. To Boruto, it was an admittance that the war was lost and over. For a long time, he denied himself as he denied the hopeless reality he lived in.

It started with Boruto and Kakashi sharing a bed; he felt safer that way. But the closer Boruto got to Kakashi, the more he failed to resist his natural desires. He remembered vividly, the first time he saw Kakashi's face and the handsome lips he seldom stretched into a smile. Kakashi was older than him, and though it was strange to Boruto at first, he found himself desiring the maturity and masculinity that Kakashi had.

Kakashi leaned up and removed his shirt, then did the same for Boruto. They each took a moment to admire the other's body, then fell back into the rhythm of kissing and grinding.

Just as Kakashi began to picture the tip of his thick dick inside Boruto's young mouth, the only sex he was familiar with the boy, Boruto broke away from their shared kiss and rested his head against Kakashi's pecs.

"I'm ready now, Kakashi." Boruto said softly, his lips against his partner's skin.

"Boruto?" Kakashi replied, unsure of what he heard.

Boruto placed his hand on Kakashi's swelling member and spoke confidently, "I want you to fuck me, Kakashi-_sama_."

Kakashi shuddered at Boruto's admission and his submissive demeanor. He leaned down into Boruto, pressing his groin against Boruto's ass.

"I'll only ask this once. Are you sure? Here, in the dirt?" Kakashi was already panting and erect. This was his fantasy.

"Yes… please."

Kakashi didn't need to hear anything else. Quickly, he and Boruto undressed themselves. Normally, Kakashi and Boruto would only perform oral. Boruto was afraid of the pain Kakashi's large dick would cause him. Now though, it didn't matter. Kakashi's primal desires had taken over, and quickly Boruto was flipped around, his ass in the air. There would be no time for Boruto to get his fix of Kakashi's cock in his mouth.

Boruto reddened as his bare ass was exposed to Kakashi, who leaned in and smelled his lover's entrance. With a soft moan, he spread Boruto's cheeks and gently massaged his tongue along the boy's taint, eliciting a quiet yelp and shudder from his virgin lover. Kakashi's hand found Boruto's dick and began stroking it, and his tongue slowly entered his tight hole. His eyes rolled back in his head at the taste. When he felt Boruto relax at his assault, he spit on his entrance and slowly pushed in a finger.

As Kakashi prepared Boruto, the younger man made a show of arching his back and wiggling his ass. He knew Kakashi loved it when Boruto reacted to his touch, and he couldn't deny, it felt good.

Kakashi withdrew his fingers and helped Boruto up. On his hands and knees, he waited patiently as Kakashi spit on his swollen cock. He pressed his thick mushroom tip against Boruto's entrance and rubbed against it, causing Boruto to shut his eyes and moan.

"Ah.. Kakashi… please…" Boruto spoke softly.

Kakashi groaned, stunned that a boy who was previously so sexually reluctant would beg so vulnerably. His hand found Boruto's ass and gripped it tightly, squeezing and smacking it. He was rubbing his cock up and down Boruto's wet ass, working himself up as he groped the younger man. With one hand, he stroked his lubed cock until it dripped precum, and with the other, Kakashi touched Boruto's muscles, losing himself in the thought of Boruto's young, muscular body belonging to him. Finally, Kakashi leaned down and pressed his cock gently into Boruto's entrance. He bit down on Boruto's ear as he forced the tip of his dick inside. Boruto winced and yelled in pain. "Is this what you wanted?" Kakashi purred.

Just as it popped in, Boruto began begging, "Please take it out! It hurts!" Boruto squealed, wiggling under Kakashi's larger body.

Kakashi responded by wrapping his arms around the boy's body. He kissed Boruto's cheek, who by now was panting and whining. "You said you were ready Boruto." He moved his hips so that his dick would retreat a little, only to push deeper into Boruto's virgin hole. He moaned as his cock was enveloped in a tight heat. "Show me you're ready baby. Come on…" He covered Boruto's face and neck in kisses, He couldn't stop now. It was all he could do to keep himself from not forcing himself in completely.

"Kakashi…"

Kakashi waited for Boruto's body to relax under him. He turned the boy's cheek, who meekly allowed his body to be controlled, and kissed him gently. Slowly, Kakashi pressed his tongue into Boruto's mouth, and brought his lover into arousal. His cock was waiting and began to slide into Boruto.

The blond moaned loudly, almost whining. He threw his head back onto Kakashi's body and cursed, "Fuck!"

When Kakashi had bottomed out, he looked down to see his big cock twitching inside Boruto's hole. The poor boy's entrance was puffy and red, but he fit, barely. Kakashi gently moved his hips in a slow rhythm and Boruto responded by pushing himself against every thrust. Boruto's face was bright red, and he couldn't make eye contact with Kakashi.

Kakashi chuckled and pulled out of Boruto.

"Eh? It was just starting to feel good Kakashi." Boruto turned his head around and whimpered.

Kakashi responded by laying on his back. He took Boruto's hands, "Ride me. I want to see your face as you discover how much you love my dick. I want to watch you cum all over my body, just as I breed that sweet boy pussy. Come on baby."

Boruto wasted no time climbing onto his lover. He loved it when Kakashi talked dirty and responded coyly, "Yes sensei, I'm going to be your cumslut!" Boruto roared in pleasure as he slammed himself onto Kakashi's enormous member. He didn't hesitate and gyrated his hips in circles, stretching his insides. He had never felt such a wonderful heat before. The pain was there, but the pleasure was overwhelming. It made the tightness and that painful heat he felt addicting.

Kakashi's body flexed and tightened as Boruto's tight hole milked his throbbing cock. His hands found Boruto's hips and he gripped them tightly, pulling Boruto down to fuck him harder. "Kakashi it feels so good!"

"Boruto…I love you." Kakashi replied.

Boruto leaned down, slowing his pace and kissed Kakashi sweetly. "I love you too Kakashi." He wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck, so their faces were close. Kakashi began to thrust his cock inside Boruto, timing it with Boruto's effort to ride him. Kakashi's massive dick was tearing Boruto apart inside, who could do nothing but moan uncontrollably as Kakashi took over. With each thrust, Kakashi filled Boruto's hole with precum, striking something inside him that made him weak.

Kakashi's fingertips dug into Boruto's skin and he spoke in a husky voice, "I'm close Boruto… I can't last much longer."

Boruto replied in a high pitch voice, "Kakashi!" His entire body shook, and he closed his eyes, "I'm cumming! Now!" Boruto's eyes sprang open and his pupils dilated. His orgasm came suddenly and washed over his entire body. Without understanding what was overtaking his body, Boruto's tongue hung from his mouth, and he panted as an intense heat washed over him.

"Oh god! Yes! Cum in me Kakashi!" Boruto screamed.

As Boruto began to shoot multiple ropes of hot teenage cum all over Kakashi's thick abs, Kakashi slammed himself into Boruto one final time. His hands squeezed his partner's ass roughly, pulling them apart so he could push in deeper. His cock twitched and he roared in pleasure. "Oh fuck baby! Yeah! Take all my cum boy!" He leaned up and kissed Boruto as his load spilled deep inside the boy, filling him. Boruto was shaking in his arms as the final spurts of cum dripped from his dick.

Boruto moaned into the kiss and continued to slowly ride Kakashi's cock, coming down from his high. As the pleasure began to fade, replaced by a dull pain, he watched the older man's face as his ass tightened around his swollen and twitching member. Kakashi was completely lost in pleasure, laying back panting as Boruto teased his sensitive cock. Still stunned that he finally took Boruto, after all these months, Kakashi couldn't help the stupid grin on his face.

"You're amazing Boruto." Kakashi smiled.

Boruto laid his smaller body onto Kakashi's and rested there. His hands roamed the man's body as their breathing synced. Slowly, Kakashi's dick softened, but remained inside Boruto. After some time had passed, Boruto leaned up and looked Kakashi in the eyes that sealed his friend's sharingan.

"Kakashi," he began in a serious voice, "I've decided."

Kakashi looked up, realizing that Boruto's behaviour these past few days hadn't been his regular mood swings. His mind reflexively darkened. _Is he ready to die?_

Boruto looked into the eyes of his older lover. The Hokage he had known as a child. The sensei that drilled jutsu into him, and the commander that lead him to survive despite the odds. He placed his hand softly on Kakashi's cheek and smiled, knowing the turmoil inside Kakashi that lead him into nihilism.

Just once more, Kakashi would be asked to stand tall against the spiral of darkness that rages eternally in this world. A force that malevolently stole Kakashi's family and happiness. To Boruto, Kakashi was like Atlas; a man preventing the fall of the sky. Boruto wondered, if after all these years, Kakashi's strong knees would finally buckle under the weight of his responsibility.

Naruto lived on in Boruto. And so long as that ember of hope existed in this world, the hope and ideology Naruto preached, the story of Ninja was not yet over.

"I'm going to perform one last jutsu." Boruto began, building confidence as he spoke, "Then together," he placed his forehead on Kakashi's and closed his eyes, "we will build the world my father dreamed of."

Kakashi's eyes widened and we he was stunned into silence, believing that Boruto intended to die from the release of his remaining chakra. Somehow, he would find a way to live through the world's remaining days, with Boruto by his side. That was the only dream he had left.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Embers Burning on a Budding Leaf

That night, Boruto explained the idea he had been mulling over and why he had been so reclusive. After calming Kakashi down, who was immediately concerned about Boruto's intentions, Boruto explained his theory. The words tumbled from his mouth messily as he tried to convey his will for salvation to Kakashi, a man whom he had a complicated relationship with and who felt the defeat of the war more than any Shinobi Boruto remembered. Boruto understood that. The weight of the Jougan and the abilities it granted him was unbearable. As he slowly realized what his eye was capable of, Boruto, much like his sensei, cycled through fear and dejection. He was balancing the worth of his life and the weight of the world. And while he mulled, he lost himself for weeks. Away from Kakashi. Running from himself and from destiny. He willed himself into inaction and found peace in his partner's acceptance of fate. But Kakashi's eyes were a constant reminder, and he felt Sarada's will and the strength of his father inside him.

This was his Nindo. This would be history's climax, and Boruto would lead them to it. "It's messy, I know that. Theoretically," Boruto broke eye contact as he began to explain, causing Kakashi to frown, "I can travel between dimensions, like Sasuke-sensei, so why shouldn't I be able to affect time?"

Kakashi looked at Boruto in disbelief. Time travel ninjutsu only existed in mythology. Nonetheless, he allowed Boruto to continue.

"Believe me, I tried. When Dad died I…" Boruto took a deep breath. "I used my eye, and I found something I couldn't see, but I could tell something _wasn't _there. When I tried to look at it…" Boruto held his hands up and mimed an explosion, "it was like an invisible barrier. I almost died before I managed to look away."

It was times like this that Kakashi felt self-conscious of his eyes. He was grateful for the gift Sarada bestowed on him; he only survived the coming months because of it. But now, he had no use for the Sharingan, no one to battle. And with a single glance, the eyes of Boruto's dead friend triggered the memory of her death in the teenager, leaving Kakashi to yearn for Boruto's attention.

"Boruto," Kakashi began in a quiet voice. He didn't know that Boruto had attempted such a risky jutsu and it confused him that Boruto hadn't told him, "Your eye has inherent draw backs. How many times do I have to tell you to only use it in the ways we've confirmed through _safe _methodology?"

In response to Kakashi's chiding, Boruto closed his eyes and smiled bashfully. "I'll be fine Kakashi! Listen to what I have to say." His sensei kept him cautious. While he was grateful for his protection, Boruto believed it was now his time, as a ninja of the next generation, to protect his sensei and the world.

Kakashi listened to the remainder of his theory. Boruto was a prodigy by nature, but the complexity of his proposed jutsu took time to communicate. Sometimes with chakra, intuition was the guiding force. You had to get a sense of it before you could understand the technique. He explained to his sensei that he believed the wall he experienced when he searched a chrono-dimension was nature energy. It made sense, he stressed. Nature energy was the blood of this world. It was the force of life and chakra in mysterious ways. For it to be required for time manipulation meant that the fabric of time was somehow connected to nature energy.

"But like I said," Kakashi interjected, "You have no safe way to prove your theory."

Boruto replied without hesitation, "This world was robbed of chakra. The world dies, but time continues. Nature energy continues. Juugo in the West and Konohamaru at Mount Myoboku."

"That's not good enough!"

"It has to be damn it! What else is there? Are you saying we should die Kakashi? You want to die with me, is that it?" Boruto screamed, his eyes watering. He knew Kakashi was depressed, and it was a topic he refused to confront under normal circumstances. This time, however, Boruto needed Kakashi to be the Hokage he once was.

Kakashi, wide-eyed, could not respond. If he spoke now, everything he kept guarded and caged deep within his heart would spill from his lips. _Yes…._ He felt that word rooted deep within his soul. It echoed inside of him and rang pleasure onto his tormented mind.

"I can do this, Kakashi. I want to live, Kakashi," Boruto spoke, his voice trembling slightly as he repeated his lover's name, "I want to save everyone." _You, included, _Boruto thought to himself._He_

"But neither of us can use nature energy."

This time, Boruto frowned. He knew enough to know that Kakashi was hiding the information he needed. "Dad told me there were two ways to travel to the toad village. You can be summoned, or you can travel a month's journey on a secret path. The connection between the toads and Konohagakure runs deep in our history."

"And as Hokage, I would know that path. That's what you're saying?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Kakashi exhaled and fell onto his back without care. "You're a real smart ass Boruto. You really are his son." Kakashi shut his eyes and almost chuckled. Naruto made it a habit to challenge Kakashi's hardened preconceptions, and now, so did his son. The same boy who Kakashi had spent a year loving and a morning claiming as his own. With a shudder, Kakashi chased away the dark thought that threatened his mind. He wasn't glad Naruto was dead. But he was relieved that the most frightening shinobi in history was not here to witness Kakashi's indominable love for his son.

Without waiting for Kakashi to ask his next question, Boruto answered it, "Konohamaru can give us the nature energy I need to open the portal."

"But you don't know the risks. There must be consequences of a jutsu of that magnitude." Kakashi argued. There was always risk to advanced jutsu. And though he knew nothing of time manipulation jutsu, the wisdom he gathered over the years confirmed the truth that powerful jutsu required sacrifice. Resurrection and immortality, genjutsu and senjutsu, they all had consequences.

"It would be worse to die without trying. I am still a shinobi." Finally, Boruto looked into Kakashi's black eyes and held the man's gaze with conviction. The history the two of them shared, the blood of their comrades and the fate of the world, everything rested upon the decisions the two of them made. It was Boruto who realized this first. The weight of this realization had caused him to isolate himself emotionally from Kakashi for weeks. They remained in the cave at his request as he internally debated whether the world was worth dying for, worth leaving Kakashi for, or whether to finally admit his failure in the Otsutsuki war. He failed to protect his father and the Leaf, and then, the world. More than anything, Boruto wanted to shed the unbearable sensation of grief that plagued him at the end of days.

"This is the history of Shinobi, you know. This is the story of Boruto Uzumaki. This is our story, Kakashi-sensei."

Against his better judgement, Kakashi relented. That night, the two packed their camp onto their backs and journeyed to Konohagakure, where the path began. Boruto walked ahead of Kakashi silently. Kakashi followed in contemplation, wishing he knew more about the Jougan. He thought about the time he spent with Boruto, and how the boy would fade in and out of being present. Sometimes he would yearn for Kakashi's touch, or his voice. Then he would be distant for weeks. They would traverse the dying landscape in silence until finally Boruto returned to himself. And ever since Sarada gave Kakashi her Mangekyou Sharingan, Boruto withdrew further and further.

Together, these odd companions took the first steps of an odyssey to avert the end of the world. Side by side, Kakashi guided them along the path that was his privilege as Hokage to know. A few days into their journey, they encountered a problem. The landscape had decayed to an unrecognizable point. A massive forest of rotting trees stood before the two awestruck ninjas.

"There isn't much time left, is there?" Boruto asked.

"When the chakra in ninja finally fades, my guess is that the remaining life will dry up too."

It took them a few days, but they performed a grid search spanning several kilometres in several directions, looking for the next recognizable landmark in Kakashi's memory. When they reached a stream that ran parallel to the mountains, they followed it South towards the coast for two weeks. The walk was painful in the dead heat of summer. By the end of the second week, with their food stores well depleted, Kakashi and Boruto turned to the soldier pills they preserved for emergencies. The water in the stream was poisoned from the surrounding rot, and to be made drinkable, required purifying. Each time they replenished their water, they risked exposure. The mental pressure soon mounted, and Boruto festered anxiously as they walked. Noticing this, Kakashi felt the responsibility of scouting for threats wear away his will to continue.

"Just a little farther." Kakashi told Boruto as they neared the summit of a small hill. The next landmark, dual mountain peaks standing tall against one another with a lush forest the Land of Fire was accustomed, was close.

"You said that to me yesterday." Boruto replied, and Kakashi could hear how dry his mouth was. He offered the boy the remainder of his canteen and watched him drink it greedily.

"Well I mean it this time!"

This was difficult, even for a ninja. At their previous location, Kakashi and Boruto were lucky that the surrounded landscape was well preserved. Food was stable. The water was clean. The transition to scarcity shocked their bodies, causing Boruto to swear himself to train his body to be stronger for the coming battles. He needed a body that was incomparable.

Finally, they saw the mountains. But what restored their energy was the sight of a forest that wasn't rotten. It was a small pocket of paradise to the weary travellers, and they rushed towards it.

"There's gotta be water there!" Boruto yelled.

"Boruto!" Kakashi cried out, holding his arm out. "Don't run ahead like that!" He quickly increased his pace, chasing after the other. He felt the age in his muscles now as they flexed in agony, shocking him with each stride he took. He remembered the stamina he had in his prime and admonished himself for his current state. _What a sorry excuse, _he thought of age. More than ever, he was jealous of Boruto for his youth.

Boruto laughed at his sensei and retorted darkly, "As if, Kakashi-sensei!" Why were the young always so carefree?

Boruto slipped into the treeline a few paces ahead of Kakashi and when the image of his lover disappeared from his sight, Kakashi's heart tightened. Pushing himself, he ran faster. He jumped into the treetops and scanned the surrounding area for Boruto. With the teenager gone, Kakashi panicked and opened his mouth to shout Boruto's name.

Just as he inhaled, he heard a shout from the direction ahead of him, and the flutter and cawing of crows flying away in distress. Kakashi dropped his pack and grabbed a kunai from his weapon pouch. _I told him not to go ahead of me. Oh gods, Boruto! _Kakashi's mind spiraled. Time seemed to slow from his perspective, as in the span of a few seconds, he processed the intense terror he felt, then committed himself acting.

He was, after all, still Kakashi of the Sharingan.

He barely had any chakra left. He was lying to Boruto about his chakra stores since they battled Juugo, and he likely only had enough to perform a couple of techniques before he died. Accepting that fate instantly, Kakashi's powerful legs leapt across the treescape. He moved with precision and speed until he reached a small clearing one hundred metres into the forest. Silencing himself and hiding his presence, he saw Boruto on his knees. His eyes were completely white as his eyes retreated into his head. His jaw hung open, and he hummed meekly.

A man wearing dirty robes was standing behind him, one hand around Boruto's neck and the other on his head. The man looked around anxiously, as if he were expecting Kakashi's intervention. Without understanding what was happening, Kakashi couldn't proceed. He needed information, and to get it, he needed his Sharingan. He weaved the sign to release the seal on his eyes. He obtained the jutsu to seal his eyes from Boruto, who learned it from an ancient Uzumaki text that Sasuke uncovered in his research of the Otsutsuki. Much like Ao of this Mist, Kakashi could activate and deactivate his Sharingan because the jutsu forcefully sealed a foreign Kekkei Genkai. One again, he was grateful to Sarada. Without her gift, both he and Boruto would have surely died soon after she did.

As his red eyes flared, assessing the battlefield, Kakashi staggered from the immediate sensation of chakra loss. He felt dizzy and weak, but he focused his attention on Boruto. He was desperate to save his lover but was already reaching his physical limit. He counted the seconds in his mind as he analyzed the scene. Boruto's small chakra pool was being drained from the chakra points in his head. He recognized the technique as a hidden jutsu of the Leaf, belonging to the Akado Clan, where the user absorbs chakra upon physical contact.

He smirked. _How fortunate.__ow Fortunedas_

With enough chakra left to perform his Mangekyou Sharingan combination only once and a few small scale jutsu before he would die from chakra exhaustion, Kakashi activated his eyes. The red commas swirled in his irises and transformed into a new pattern; swirling black fractals that made his eyes look like lenses. He bound the chakra to his left eye and released the jutsu.

_Omoikane! _His left Sharingan danced.

The jutsu allowed Kakashi to analyse and copy any jutsu. Kekkei Genkai or Touta, hidden jutsu, anything. The only thing beyond his capacity of copying was copying Kekkei Genkai that required specific DNA like the Byakugan. And then with his right eye…

"Don't move." A voice came from behind him and Kakashi felt the edge of a kunai against his neck. He raised his hands slowly, feigning it as a reflex of submission, but Kakashi had already made his move. Wielding two eyes, little escaped his vantage in the battlefield.

The ninja, who Kakashi assumed was the Akado clan's partner, quickly slashed the backs of Kakashi's knees, causing him to fall to his knees for a moment. This tactic confirmed to Kakashi that they operated by immobilizing their target in order to drain their chakra. _What a painful death, _Kakashi remarked.

But it wasn't Kakashi who fell to his knees. True to his nature and quick to weave signs, Kakashi had substituted himself with a log, and attached his last paper bomb. The fuse was nearly lit, and Kakashi performed another jutsu, Earth Style: Head Hunter.

"Kozuki, get away!" The ninja managed to scream before the explosion set off. Though he tried to flee, his right leg was blown off and his arm severely burned. He fell into the grass and died moments later, completely deaf and numb to his pain. Bleeding out, the nameless ninja felt comfort in the grass as it got warmer and warmer. Finally, he closed his eyes, probably thinking he would sleep and wake up in the morning.

Kozuki, a ninja Kakashi knew and assigned missions to as Hokage, shouted as he watched his friend explode. He reacted by dropping Boruto on the ground and relaxing his guard. At that moment, Kakashi's hands sprung from the softened earth and he pulled the shinobi into the ground, sealing his movement. Above ground, Kakashi did not hesitate and ran to Boruto. Kozuki cursed and screamed in anger at first, then began to cry and wail. Kakashi took Boruto into his arms and checked his vital signs. When he saw that the boy was weak, but stable, he sighed with relief. With his Sharingan he could see the small pool of chakra Boruto had left. He would survive.

With the anxiety of losing Boruto released, Kakashi turned around to see the head of a young ninja he once commanded. He stepped forward to the man and lifted one hand into the air, and with the other, held his elbow like he would if he were to perform the Lightning Blade. His Sharingan once again flashed in his eyes, and he cast his next jutsu.

_Hachiman! _The technique in his right eye. With it, Kakashi activated the Hidden Jutsu he copied. Now standing above a whimpering Kozuki, Kakashi bent down on one knee.

"P-please! Don't! No! You were my Hokage, Kakashi-sama, please don't do this!" He begged, and he continued to beg as Kakashi placed his hand on the head of his opponent trapped in the earth. He felt a rush of chakra flood into him and after several minutes, he marveled at his newfound chakra level. He released Kozuki's head, and it fell to the side. His eyes stayed open, lifeless.

There were probably few enough shinobi in the world that Kakashi could count them on his fingers. Two of them lay before him dead, and one unconscious. In the end, the value of their lives wasn't inherent, but dependent on the bonds they formed with others who could protect them. He took Boruto into his arms and began returning to the location of their supplies where he could feed the teenager food pills. Then he would prioritize water and shelter. Fortunately, the vitality of the forest meant that what Boruto desperately needed was readily available. Stronger now, thanks to the chakra he absorbed, he clutched Boruto to his chest tightly and whispered to him.

"I will never let you go again, Boruto. I promise. I'll be with you until the end." Kakashi spoke from his heart. He felt a weakness he could not explain when he wasn't with Boruto that he hadn't noticed in the past year because he had been with Boruto consistently. "Always Boruto, in any time you desire."

That night, he never left Boruto. He even expended chakra to create a clone that could fetch water and assist him in setting up camp, attending to Boruto, and guarding the camp. He revelled at the usefulness of the Akado jutsu that absorbs chakra. Kozuki might have been the last remaining ninja on this world before it died, and if that was his destiny, Kakashi considered the death he gave the younger ninja a mercy. He moved on with conviction, willfully choosing to not consider the impact his growing body count would have on his mind.

They rested for three more days and would have taken longer if Boruto had not chased away Kakashi's obsessive protection. If it were up to Kakashi, they'd have stayed a week, but Boruto knew that both he and the world did not have the luxury of time. At his will, the two continued their journey as soon as Boruto felt enough of his strength return. Walking now with great caution to the edge of the Land of Fire, restoring their water only when necessary rather than risking constant fires, foraging where they could when it was safe, and taking turns keeping watch as they slept. It continued like this for ten more days until they both felt lost and weary. But they committed to their routine and maintained it like clockwork. Kakashi was relentless in his mission to protect Boruto on this journey, even if he doubted its worth entirely. The longer they walked, the more Kakashi wondered about the consequences Boruto, and any time-traveller, would face. It had never been theorized, tested, or performed. The requirements were unknown, and Boruto's theory was entirely intuition.

On the final day of their journey, after traversing an unrecognizable wasteland for three days in desperation, Kakashi's jaw fell open at what he saw, and he called Boruto to his side. "Boruto, get over here, you have to see this!"

It took him some time, as he was slower now and a couple of paces behind his sensei. But when he did arrive, he laughed, and leaned onto Kakashi's shoulder. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. At the top of the hill they were on, they could see a valley that stretched across the horizon, going deeper and deeper until it seemed to disappear entirely. But the surgency of life and vitality was not the most surprising thing. What shocked them both was that they didn't recognize a single plant or creature. Every blade of grass and tree, every insect and bird, they were all foreign creatures. The ninjas were still well within the country where they knew every facet of its geography, yet they stumbled into a place so strange and foreign it seemed surreal.

"How is this possible?" Boruto asked.

"I'm not sure." Kakashi was puzzled. Mount Myoboku was a secluded region located within their world. It was accessible, but only to those that were summoned, or followed the path. At the end of their journey, Kakashi expected to find an overgrown well that they would then jump into. They would then fall from the sky in the Land of the Toads. But this was unnatural. It looked to Kakashi like the environment of the Toad Village was spilling out of its container in abundance and overtaking the dead environment surrounding it. Kakashi could see that some of the forest that existed before remained as husks of stone, probably morphed by the nature energy itself. "Do you think it's related to nature energy?" Kakashi asked, wondering if they were witnessing the risks of the energy they were attempting to wield. _There's no way I'll let him bear this burden. It would be unforgivable. _

Boruto looked down at his ankles and watched as a white snake with purple spots slithered past him without a care in the world, holding an oddly coloured toad in its jaw. He stood still, knowing not to move. He waited for it to pass into the tall grass before he answered, "It must be. That snake looked a lot like the sage I met at Ryuichi Cave."

The snake was well fed and an important piece of the immense change that was ongoing in the world. It was pregnant and would soon give birth to a new species born from nature energy. It, like many other creatures in the terrains expanding from the sage regions, was the mother of an entirely new form of life. Though the two ninjas did not realize it, they would soon bear witness to a spectacular genesis of life that would replace the chakra-based world that would soon die.

Beholden to the wonder that surrounded them, and without an explanation to the seemingly illogical environment they found themselves, both Kakashi and Boruto lowered their guard. They were fragile after a month's long journey that began with their intimate connection and ended with their bodies and spirits nearly broken. Kakashi yearned for a night to hold Boruto's soft clean body in his arms. But Boruto no longer had anything on his mind other than the portal that he couldn't see. Each step brought him closer to his objective, and his desire to alter the timeline burned from a will to save humanity into an obsession that fueled his existence. Failure was no longer an option. He would see to it for his father, and for all his dead friends. He would take the world into his hands and oppose Black Zetsu, the Akatsuki, the Otsutsuki, and any other who stood in his way. He was swarmed with a sense of righteous justice, and in this moment, failed to notice the rapidly approaching chakra to their left.

"I would expect more from ninjas of your caliber." A strong voice spoke from the brush of the forest. They heard rustling as the leaves parted and quickly turned to face the unknown presence. Though they saw the leaves move, a moment later, nothing arrived. Instead, they heard a voice from behind them speak in a non-threatening tone, "But then, neither of you could hold a candle to me now anyways." The man laughed, and instantly, Boruto recognized his sensei.

The teenager turned around threw his arms around his lost friend. He hugged the Jonin tightly, happy to see that he still wore his familiar blue scarf. He smelled different, Boruto noticed as the hug continued for several minutes.

"I missed you too, buddy. I'm glad to see you again, before… well…" Konohamaru stammered.

They stayed like that a while longer until Kakashi cleared his throat. He walked over to Konohamaru and smiled, in turn giving the man a warm hug. It really was him, Kakashi reflected, but something was different about him now.

"We've come so far," Kakashi said.

"I know. The Great Toad Sage told me everything. He's waiting for you at the village. Come on, I'll take you there, and we can talk on the way." Konohamaru smiled, his hand still on his student's shoulder. He didn't believe the sage when he said he would see his student again, and in a way he was both familiar with and had forgotten. But now, as the blond ninja and the Sixth Hokage stood before him, Konohamaru began to believe more in prophecies, though he still didn't understand the second half of Gamamaru's rambling.

"No, wait." Boruto began, resisting Konohamaru's tugging. "We need you, Konohamaru-niisan, please."

At that, Konohamaru smiled and took his student's hand in his own. "There's still time Boruto. Nothing will happen until you meet Gamamaru. He says you have a decision to make."

"A decision?" Kakashi asked Konohamaru.

"He wouldn't tell me more, Kakashi-sama. But we've been waiting for you for a long time. The forest has grown so much in that time, Ma and Pa were beginning to worry you wouldn't make it. You're going to get an earful, you know. And I hope you're hungry!" Konohamaru laughed. His energy completely changed the dynamic Kakashi and Boruto had after their journey. His lightheartedness fed their need for vitality, and like hungry wolves, they fed on him. Soon, the two were walking in stride together beside a man Kakashi had truly believed was dead. His own intuition told him that Boruto was right, and that Konohamaru had mastered nature energy and truly could provide them the energy they needed.

But as they walked further into the valley, a sense of dread loomed over Kakashi. It felt like there was a pair of eyes watching him at every moment from all angles but was too far away too detect. It felt like the possibility of watching Boruto die in his attempt to cast his jutsu was becoming more and more real with each passing day. Kakashi looked at Konohamaru smiling, and for a second, he thought that this man, who seemed far too care free considering they face the end of days, would be happy to lead Boruto to death like a lamb to slaughter.

As the trio fell into the well portal, Kakashi reminded himself of the oath he swore. It didn't matter if there were hours or days left, he would remain by Boruto's side.

Author's Notes:

I hope you enjoyed reading the character's I've translated here. This chapter I wanted to show you how I was going to characterize them, and how I write my action.

If you've been enjoying what I have to offer, please leave a review! It really helps me feel inspired.

Thanks~

Elevryn


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